Sūn Xiáng's Death Via Flirtation
by SilverReplay
Summary: Who knew that one chance encounter could change everything? Sun Xiang pulls a klutz moment and runs into a rather handsome stranger, causing him to stumble and nearly fall to the floor—except the stranger catches him in his arms. (Full Summary Inside) Part 1 of Take Another Look At Me series
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary:**

Who knew that one chance encounter could change everything?

Sun Xiang pulls a klutz moment and runs into a rather handsome stranger, causing him to stumble and nearly fall to the floor—except the stranger catches him in his arms. The man is not the most handsome, that title remains reserved for Zhou Zekai in all honesty, but he's the type of person to become more desirable the more one stares at him. Sun Xiang is about to apologize, because he is the one at fault for running through the halls, when the stranger speaks and stuns him into silence.

"Are you falling for me?" The stranger smirks bewitchingly, amber eyes crinkling with mischievousness and alight with an indescribable brightness.

Sun Xiang blanks out.

Seeing Sun Xiang at a loss for words, the stranger's smirk widens, if possible, and brings Sun Xiang closer so that he's leaning against the stranger's shoulder. The stranger uses one hand to brush aside a stray strand of dirty blond hair behind Sun Xiang's left ear. "No, actually," the man's voice softens then, the dulcet tone casting a spell on Sun Xiang, "I think I may have fallen for you."

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Encounter**

Sun Xiang breaks out into a run, skidding around the corner. He cannot believe he is late, or well, nearly late. Just as he turns the corner, he finds himself colliding into something solid, make that a _someone_ actually.

The sudden collision has him stumbling back, but Sun Xiang can't really catch himself like this and braces himself for impact—except there is none. He's caught in a warm embrace. Slowly, he opens his eyes and finds himself lost in a sea of amber obscured only by stray strands of black hair.

He can feel the strength in the sole arm catching his back, straining to do so yet actually succeeding, which stuns him because he knows he is not light and that the momentum of the collision should have sent him crashing to the floor. He blinks and focuses back on the situation at hand.

Sun Xiang opens his mouth to apologize, as it really is his fault for running through the halls so haphazardly, when the stranger speaks up.

A smooth, velvety voice wraps around him and steals his spirit away for a moment, though a distant corner of his mind does register what is being said.

"Are you falling for me?" The stranger smirks bewitchingly, amber eyes crinkling with mischievousness and alight with an indescribable brightness.

Sun Xiang blanks out.

Seeing Sun Xiang at a loss for words, the stranger's smirk widens, if possible, and brings Sun Xiang closer so that he's leaning against the stranger's shoulder. The stranger uses one hand to brush aside a stray strand of dirty blond hair behind Sun Xiang's left ear. "No, actually," the man's voice softens then, the dulcet tone casting a spell on Sun Xiang, "I think I may have fallen for you."

For an awkward moment, silence reigns absolute. Sun Xiang can only blink owlishly, his clear blue eyes never straying from those amber ones above.

The dark-haired man laughs gently, the sound causing Sun Xiang's ears to turn slightly red at the tips. "My apologies, my breath was just taken away by the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." A faint smile blossoms on the stranger's pale face.

"Uh….umm…" The remark has Sun Xiang blushing heavily and stammering, as he has no idea what to do. This guy is flirting with him in such a bold yet suave manner; usually Sun Xiang is the one picking girls up! Take note, girls! He rarely ever goes for the same sex, yet why is he reacting so strongly to this man?!

"Oh no, did your voice get spelled away?" The stranger adjusts his hold on Sun Xiang, settling the blond back on his feet but not unwrapping the arm around Sun Xiang's waist. "Well, I've heard true love's kiss can break any curse."

"K-k-kiss…?" Sun Xiang repeats, stuttering at first.

The dark-haired man sees the blond's deer in headlights look and wants to push this a little farther. "Ah, nevermind. It's thoughtless of me to dare touch a lovely creature such as yourself. Heaven must have lost an angel."

"Ah—" Sun Xiang starts. Angel? Is this guy for real? Yet, his cheeks suffuse with color nonetheless.

"Ah, but I think I should get myself acquainted with the idea of hell being my final destination. I don't think the heavens will appreciate me stealing its finest angel, because now that I've met you, I'm not letting you go." The stranger brings his free hand up to tilt Sun Xiang's chin up.

 _I'm taller than him_ , Sun Xiang absentmindedly notes, _though his presence makes it seem otherwise._ Sun Xiang is still slightly cradled in the stranger's arm, which lowers him slightly toward the ground and allows the shorter brunet to tower over him a bit.

Then, as if struck by a lightning bolt, Sun Xiang wrenches himself out of the stranger's grasp. "Look, I'm sorry about that, but thank you for catching me," Sun Xiang says rapidly, the words leaving his mouth just as he thinks them.

"No problem." He sweeps his gaze over Sun Xiang and remarks, "I swear I've seen your face before…"

"I, I am somewhat famous," Sun Xiang mumbles, casting his gaze to the ground to look away from those piercing amber eyes.

"Hmm...yes, I can see why, but no, I'm pretty sure you are the one who has been starring in my dreams recently. Is this meeting an encounter of fate?"

Sun Xiang stares blankly at him, silent again.

The brunet sees this and abandons this avenue for another, asking with a faint smile, "Then may I have a name? I can't keep calling you Handsome in my head...unless you want me to?" That faint smile grows into a wide smirk, smugness practically dripping off of it.

"S-Sun Xiang, and yours?' Sun Xiang trips over his own name, his eyes locked onto those pale pink lips.

" _Sun?_ " The foreign English word, slightly accented, catches Sun Xiang unaware—especially since it is a tone off from his own last name.

 _Can a single word in English actually sound that sexy?!_

Those pale lips, which still held his gaze captivated, then parts. "Well in my opinion, you're an even brighter existence."

Sun Xiang chokes at this. How...how is he supposed to respond?

"You looked like you were in a rush...a rush to meet me?"

The moment Sun Xiang registers this line, his mind is instantly torn between yes and no. What is going on?

"Ah, I guess this will remain unanswered?" The brunet shrugs and comments, "That's alright, I like a little mystery. You can just call me yours then."

Sun Xiang freezes. This...this is too much. He's flattered; honestly, he is, but…

"Anyway," the older man, for he does look older and more fatigued, shoves his right hand into his jeans' pocket as he says, "are you free later today? I know you're in a rush, and I do hope to see you around here in the future, but that's too far away. Even just seeing you in my dreams isn't enough to satisfy me. So, tonight—at seven? I would love to spend some more time with you."

"I, I don't even know your name," Sun Xiang blurts out, his face entirely red by this point. Mentally though, he's screaming at himself. _No! Sun Xiang, what are you doing? Reject his ass! Why did I say that? Why would I care about his name?!_

"That will be a game changer, wouldn't it." He sighs, as if he can't help this result. "Call me Xiu then—that's what I hope you'll be screaming one day." He laughs, ruffling his dark hair as he repeats his question. "So, are you free today?"

"Ah, er… Yes, but…" Sun Xiang replies automatically.

"Perfect, let's meet outside the clubhouse then. Seven o'clock, don't forget. " Xiu casually pulls a pen out of nowhere and grabs Sun Xiang's hand.

The sudden warmth wrapping around his hand makes Sun Xiang's knees weaken. The slight pressure of the pen against his skin does not help.

Xiu scrawls his number down and then pauses, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of Sun Xiang's hand. "Huh, just like I thought." Xiu smirks. "These are the kind of hands I'll let explore my body any day."

Sun Xiang stares at the wall in front of him, his jaw tensing.

"I'll be waiting, Handsome." Tucking the pen back into his jacket, Xiu goes to walks past Sun Xiang.

"Wait!" Sun Xiang turns on the spot to face him. Xiu turns his head back and raises a brow. "You, you don't have—"

"Your number?" That damnable smirk reappears on Xiu's face. He saunters over and whispers into Sun Xiang's ears, "I'll let the ball be in your court, sweetheart. Such cute reactions…" He trails off for a moment before continuing, "I'm afraid that once you're mine, I'm never letting go. So take this time to decide if my forwardness and blatant interest has not scared you away; though, you don't seem the type to be scared so easily."

Sun Xiang bites down on his lower lip, because he can hear the challenge in that last line loud and clear. Despite his better judgement, he already knows his answer.

"So, I'll be waiting for your response, Xiang Xiang."

 _T-that—_

Sun Xiang's knees collapse on him. He luckily braces a hand against the wall beside him and slows his slide down to the floor, but that split second of distraction makes him miss the glint in the other man's eyes. By the time he looks up, the brunet is already disappearing around the corner.

"What...did that just...gah," Sun Xiang can't even put together a sentence with how rattled he is. _That man_ _ **dares**_ _to call me_ — Sun Xiang shoves the rest of the thought down into a box and throws it into the incinerator. He doesn't want to think about it, not at all.

Something niggles in the back of Sun Xiang's mind then, but he's too dazed and flustered to figure out what it is. Taking a deep breath, he does his best to ignore how much heat his face is radiating and looks down at the number he's been given. Correction, at the number and _comment_ —

 **「** **You deserve to be worshipped and treasured, my little Sun. 1xx-xxxx-xxxx** **」**

"..." At this point, Sun Xiang is absolutely done. This guy…

 _Is he playing a joke? Or is he actually… Does he actually mean what he says? All those lines, they're like something straight from a drama or novel, but even worse._

"Why me," Sun Xiang asks himself. What is so special about him when compared to all the others the man probably knows? This place is the clubhouse of Excellent Era, which means the man must know all sorts of people—perhaps even Ye Qiu himself.

Yet despite his hesitance, a spark of hope flares within him. He makes himself as comfortable as he can be with his back against the wall and takes his phone out of his jacket. His fingers tremble slightly as he unlocks his phone and opens up his messaging app. Carefully, he inputs in the series of numbers—and freezes.

 _That guy's name...Xiu what?_

Sun Xiang bites down on his lip and reconsiders doing this. _What if the man is...is…_

Then, that piercing amber gaze and bewitching smirk flash through his mind's eye, and he caves. What is life without a bit of risk-taking? He names the contact **「 」** — _Fucking hell, what do I name him that won't get my ass raked over the coals if one of the guys steals my phone?_

It can't be in Chinese, obviously, nor English since it's so widely spoken. That meant…

Contemplative, Sun Xiang types in two simple letters, **「** **BG** **」** , and saves the contact. He remembers some of what his mother used to teach him about her native language, mainly because it's so often referred to as the language of love... _which is goddamn useless if no one can understand it_ , Sun Xiang gripes as he creates a new conversation.

Sun Xiang stares at the phone screen, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. What does he write? He racks his brain but can't really think of anything. At a loss, he types in a basic greeting and presses send.

『Hey, it's Sun Xiang』

He tilts his head back and looks up at the ceiling, suddenly wanting to throw himself out the window. _I can't believe I sent that. Why? I could have sent anything else, so why did I send such a simple, generic message?! What if he suddenly changes his mind? What—_

 _*Ding*_

* * *

 **Notes:**

Please give a round of applause to my beta for this story, Shaf—whose reactions while editing this fic is pure gold.  
Love ya, darling~~ (you die so many times when working on it, so headpats for you *patpat*)  
Haha, thank you for sticking with me through that very, very, very...uh...diabetic? nauseatingly sweet and cringe? chapter.  
(Stick with me till the end? *puppy dog eyes*)  
This story began because I wanted to bully Sun Xiang, and now you see the results of this random desire.  
(Also, uh, I think the best part of writing this fic is coming up with all the pick-up lines tbh; it's fun af yet when I imagine Ye Xiu saying it, I am so  
like my god, someone get me some water)

ALSO, SORA I KNOW YOU ARE READING THIS AND YES I AM GIFTING THIS FIC TO YOU, YOU ADORABLE LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE

*honestly, this entire fic is inspired by your love (read as obsession) for Sun Xiang*

Cross-posted under **MTKiseki** at AO3

Beta'd by **Shaf**

Gifted to **Sorataxd** at AO3

Part 1 of the _**Take Another Look At Me**_ series


	2. Chapter 2

**Full Summary:**

Who knew that one chance encounter could change everything?

Sun Xiang pulls a klutz moment and runs into a rather handsome stranger, causing him to stumble and nearly fall to the floor—except the stranger catches him in his arms. The man is not the most handsome, that title remains reserved for Zhou Zekai in all honesty, but he's the type of person to become more desirable the more one stares at him. Sun Xiang is about to apologize, because he is the one at fault for running through the halls, when the stranger speaks and stuns him into silence.

"Are you falling for me?" The stranger smirks bewitchingly, amber eyes crinkling with mischievousness and alight with an indescribable brightness.

Sun Xiang blanks out.

Seeing Sun Xiang at a loss for words, the stranger's smirk widens, if possible, and brings Sun Xiang closer so that he's leaning against the stranger's shoulder. The stranger uses one hand to brush aside a stray strand of dirty blond hair behind Sun Xiang's left ear. "No, actually," the man's voice softens then, the dulcet tone casting a spell on Sun Xiang, "I think I may have fallen for you."

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Meeting the Battle God Himself**

『Lady Fortune must be smiling on me today, to allow me to meet someone as cute as you.』

Sun Xiang purses his lips and then tactfully decides to ignore the flirtatious response. 『Where are we going at 7?』

A few seconds later, he receives a reply. 『You aren't from around here, so you probably have not explored H City properly. Have you ever been to H City's Garden of Eden? The flowers cultivated there are beautiful, I've heard.』

Garden of Eden? Sun Xiang thinks and shakes his head. No, he has never even heard of such a place in H City, despite having come to the city a handful of times.

When he returns his gaze back to his phone screen, he realizes Xiu has sent another text.

『Ah, but these flowers might disappoint, like anything else when compared to your beauty.』

Sun Xiang chokes on air, and his phone nearly slips from his grasp. His hands fumble to keep it from falling to the floor and cracking its screen, and just as he reestablishes his grip on his phone, a voice pipes up from above.

"There you are. What are you doing, sitting on the ground in the hallway?" His reverie broken, Sun Xiang looks up and sees Yue Ziqin standing before him.

 _The guild leader for our club's guild_ , Sun Xiang reminds himself. "Ah, um, nothing, Brother Yue, I just got lost in my thoughts and had to take a breather." Sun Xiang stows his phone away into his jacket and looks away, hoping his blush from before has faded already. He keeps his gaze shifted to the side as he stands, too embarrassed to look at his fellow teammate.

"Alright. Hey, do you want to join us and grab something to eat after this cross team training? I heard we'll be done just before seven. It'll be a bit early for dinner then, but the guys and I were thinking of an all-you-can-eat or a barbecue," Yue Ziqin offers as the two of them begin walking to the meeting room.

"I...I can't tonight. Sorry, something came up." Sun Xiang stuffs his hands into his pockets, his gaze firmly fixed ahead.

"Damn, really? Next time then, dude." Yue Ziqin doesn't say anything for a moment. All of a sudden, he stops walking, prompting Sun Xiang to finally look at his teammate. "Yo, Sun Xiang, are you okay?"

Sun Xiang blinks and then realizes how he has been acting ever since he ran into Xiu. He forces himself to smirk and says, "Yea, just an off day. Don't sweat about it. I got a reply from a chick I've been chasing just now, so that's why I'm rain checking you guys."

Yue Ziqin slaps Sun Xiang's back in congratulations. "Nice going, she hot?"

The dirty blond shrugs, his eyes shifting to the right. "She's kinda hot. Nice to look at, but not the hottest, you get what I mean?"

He gets a nod in response.

"Yea, I know what you mean. Anyway, the room should be right over...ah, over here." Yue Ziqin opens the door and looks at Sun Xiang, signalling for him to enter first.

Sun Xiang almost does, except he remembers that he still hasn't responded to the text. "Shoot, you go in first. I need to reply to her; you caught me right after she suggested a place we could go tonight."

Yue Ziqin nods sagely. "I'll explain to the captain then. Good luck with making sure she isn't pissed at you for the long wait." Yue Ziqin walks through the open door and closes it behind him, or nearly so. He turns his head back to throw out, "You'll probably have five minutes max before someone will be sent to grab you again," before vanishing into the room. The door hits the doorframe, but remains slightly ajar afterward.

Sun Xiang nearly breaks out into cold sweat at that, as he's more afraid of what response he _will_ get after making Xiu wait so long.

With a cloud of dread visibly hovering over him, Sun Xiang pulls out his phone and types a quick reply. 『That sounds fine』

There's a bit of a wait, causing Sun Xiang to throw nervous glances at the now ajar door. He doesn't think he has long before perhaps the captain himself comes out to drag him to this practice session with Excellent Era.

Even if he is the best newcomer of the season, so far, it doesn't mean he gets a lot of slack. The amount he's getting right now, being late and all, is more than he expects.

『 I thought I've been forgotten about after such a long silence 』

 _Shit_ , Sun Xiang despairs. Three dots appear at the bottom of the chat for a moment, and a new text bubble forms.

『That's perfect then. I'll make reservations for Firefly Pavilion as well, if it's alright with you?』

'Firefly Pavilion,' even Sun Xiang has heard about this restaurant. Not just anyone can make a reservation, especially at such late notice. 『Wait, isn't that the newest and hottest restaurant to open up in the entire district? Isn't it really pricey and hard to get into?』

From what little Sun Xiang remembers of Xiu's clothes, as his attention had been drawn to other things, the older man did not look like he has a lot of money. He dressed rather simply in fact, though it might just be a preference. Sun Xiang isn't sure.

『Don't worry, sweetheart. Let me treat you the way you deserve to be treated, like a blessing to the earth. No—the most precious treasure I will ever encounter, the center of my world.』

Sun Xiang does not know how to respond.

How is he going to survive the next two or so hour-long wait? How is he going to survive the team training…

 _*Ding*_

His phone screen had blanked out earlier due to his inactivity, so Sun Xiang turns it back on and opens the chat again—and freezes.

『I guess I should mention to dress nicely, but I don't think you'll look bad in anything.』

Moments later, a second message appears.

『Though, you'll obviously look best in nothing.』

Sun Xiang is 100% certain that his face is brighter in hue than a ripe tomato.

With a grimace, he shoves his phone into his jacket again and tries to calm down. The manager had somehow arranged a cross team training with Excellent Era, which is amazing because that means working with the battle god Ye Qiu himself.

 _...Ye...Qiu? Xiu?..._

Sun Xiang shakes his head. What is he thinking; the guy he just met has nothing to do with the captain of Excellent Era. _It's probably been more than five minutes already. Well, here goes nothing._

The next moment, he pulls the door open and enters.

He finds himself facing a devilish smirk that he knows will feature in his dreams tonight.

"Ah, Sun Xiang, this is Ye Qiu. He has graciously offered to be paired up with you, as Excellent Era does not have a berserker in their lineup. You two will be working together."

Sun Xiang is pretty sure his team captain thinks that he is doing Sun Xiang a favor, but Sun Xiang feels that his life has just been signed away.

"We've met before, actually. Xiang Xiang is truly unforgettable," Ye Qiu interjects, extending a hand out to Sun Xiang.

A flurry of whispers ring out throughout the room at that moment, of which Sun Xiang ignores as best as he can, though his ears turn slightly red at the tips once more.

With a serious face, Sun Xiang reaches out to shake the hand, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Senior Ye Qiu."

Only, when Sun Xiang's hand makes contact with Ye Qiu's hand, the older man grasps it and bends over to press a kiss to the back of his hand.

"Ah…" Sun Xiang squeaks in all but name.

Sun Xiang immediately flushes red and tries to yank his hand back, but Ye Qiu tightens his grip and refuses to let go.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sun Xiang can see the stunned looks on everyone in the room, all of them as speechless as he is.

The professional smile on his face turns awkward. Ye Qiu glances up briefly, and Sun Xiang easily catches the spark of mischief dancing in those amber eyes.

Sun Xiang nearly keels over on the spot due to this man's next action. Even if no one else knew what just happened, and even if Sun Xiang himself did not even really see it, the action is unmistakable. Sun Xiang _definitely_ feels something wet lightly flick at his hand a moment later and feels his soul figuratively fly away once he realizes _what_ exactly he felt.

With a sly smirk, Ye Xiu slips his tongue out to taste Sun Xiang's skin, all the while locking eyes with Sun Xiang.

 _Hmm_ , Ye Xiu contemplates, _does this junior eat a lot of sweets? He tastes sweeter than I had imagined._

Ye Xiu straightens, his posture almost military in how perfect it is. A radiant smile crosses his face as Ye Xiu poses a question to the room at large. "How about we start the training?"

No one responds at first, the silence in the room stifling.

Sun Xiang's lips crack apart a bit. The blond tries to put together a sentence. "Uh...Senior Ye…"

Ye Xiu's eyes glint. "Now now, no need to be so formal. I already told you to call me by my first name, though not in as many words."

"...Understood, Senior Qiu," Sun Xiang finally murmurs, helpless in the face of this great god.

"Splendid." Ye Xiu looks around and sees everyone still standing in their original spots. "Let's get to business, everyone. Come, Xiang Xiang, your seat is right here."

Ye Xiu leads Sun Xiang over to a pair of computers, one of which is already logged in and showcasing the battle mage 【One Autumn Leaf】 waiting on the screen. The other screen merely displays the 《Glory》 logo.

"You'll be sitting next to me, as that's where you should always be—by my side." Sun Xiang does not want to look back at all to see everyone's reactions, though he can feel their stares searing through his back like lasers.

Ye Xiu knows all of this, as Sun Xiang's thoughts are all clearly displayed on his face. His team as well as the one Tao Xuan invited over are both equally as transparent. He pays it little attention, however, and just continues on with his plans of seduction.

 _He's not even bothering to keep his voice down,_ Sun Xiang cries mentally. In his mind, the small avatar of himself is rocking back and forth, arms wrapped around his legs, as the avatar cries a waterfall of tears.

His blush has only worsened with each passing second, and Ye Qiu still has not released his hand.

Ye Qiu gently guides him to take a seat, and his weak knees all but collapse on him when he sits down.

This...this is not how he expected to die.

* * *

 **Notes** :

I want to thank Shaf for her lovely beta work (whose reactions are pure gold as always)  
and darling Sora, whose this entire fic is dediated to  
She even drew a picture for the first scene of this fic! (Don't mind the yaoi hands w)

You can find the photos on my AO3 version of the fic, which is on my AO3 account → users/MTKiseki/pseuds/MTKiseki

Cross-posted under **MTKiseki** at AO3

Beta'd by **Shaf**

Gifted to **Sorataxd** at AO3

Part 1 of the _**Take Another Look At Me**_ series


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Devil Plays a Sonata**

Stiffly, Sun Xiang takes out his account card and inserts it into the reader. A metal gear, framed by a blazing fiery background, revolves on the screen around a six-pointed star, after which a pair of swords flash and herald the unfurling of wings, first of light and then of blades. _Glory_ , the screen reads. Soon, the Berserker 【Cross Knife】 appears on his monitor. The avatar's features are mostly modeled off of Sun Xiang's appearance, and its equipment boasts the highest specs Conquering Clouds can offer. Instinctively, Sun Xiang glances at the monitor to his right, painfully aware of the jealousy pricking at his heart.

Compared to the Battle God【One Autumn Leaf】, his primary account is laughable.

Sun Xiang's gaze slides away from the famed avatar and over to its owner, upon which he notices that Ye Qiu's gaze directed at him. Hyperaware, Sun Xiang is certain that Ye Qiu saw him steal a glance at 【One Autumn Leaf】, but much to Sun Xiang's surprise, the Excellent Era team captain has yet to comment on it.

Ye Qiu suddenly speaks up, interrupting Sun Xiang's inner monologue. His voice—crisp, almost militant—rises and falls at a cadence that only serves to enhance his clear enunciation, causing Sun Xiang to freeze because of how _authoritative_ it is. He...does not need to know this about himself.

"Today, we'll start with running through dungeons; check QQ for team arrangements and locations. Unlike before, this will be a more comprehensive training. All runs will be recorded for post-review and assessed by Captain Nan Junyang and myself for teamwork, amongst other elements. From this, we will develop training programs to capitalize on your individual strengths and rectify your individual weaknesses. We'll start the dungeon runs in half an hour, so I suggest you warm up appropriately before then."

With that, Ye Qiu places on his headset and enters a world mirroring that of 《Glory》.

* * *

Meanwhile, the room falls completely silent. Excellent Era has never seen their captain be so vocal before, whereas Conquering Clouds has been struck speechless by the natural charisma and commanding aura radiating from Ye Qiu.

 _Luckily, Ye Qiu seems to avoid work not involving_ 《 _Glory_ 》 _,_ Tao Xuan thinks as he observes from the front of the room. _If he ever goes into politics or the military, who knows how far he'll go; the influence he'll wield..._

Tao Xuan begins to mentally rearrange his plans for Excellent Era's future.

Despite his notable skill in tactics and operation, Ye Qiu is a bad investment for Excellent Era from an economical perspective. Since leading Team Excellent Era to the title of Alliance champions for three years in a row alongside Wu Xuefeng, Ye Qiu's role in the team has changed. Now, vice captain Liu Hao has more authority than the figurehead of a captain.

 _Liu Hao's plans,_ Tao Xuan muses. _Will they still work?_ The team is currently considering Sun Xiang, last season's Best Rookie, as Ye Qiu's successor. Tao Xuan, like Ye Qiu, noticed the look Sun Xiang casted at 【One Autumn Leaf】. Maybe if they used 【One Autumn Leaf】as an incentive, Sun Xiang would be willing to transfer to Excellent Era?

Out loud, Tao Xuan announces, "Well, you all heard Ye Qiu. The computers have been set to record the game window, so the captains and vice captains can review your performances and draft their analyses."

Immediately, Excellent Era's pro players straighten up and turn to their monitors, suppressing their curiosity and bafflement at their captain's new behavior.

The pro players of Conquering Clouds, too, snap back to the present. Although still in awe of Ye Qiu's presence, they have no reason to suspect Ye Qiu's behavior is peculiar.

Seated facing them but a row behind, Yue Ziqin, however, ignores Tao Xuan's words, narrowed eyes still fixated on the Battle God and his own blond teammate. Throughout the past year, Yue Ziqin has never seen Sun Xiang act so flustered. _No...this can't be?_

' _Yea, just an off day_ ,' Sun Xiang had said. ' _Don't sweat about it. I got a reply from a chick I've been chasing just now, so that's why I'm rain checking you guys.'_

 _A chick_ , Yue Ziqin scoffs. _Little Sun couldn't have been farther from the truth_. Something dark within him wants to expose this upstart junior of his. After all, Sun Xiang has not made a lot of friends with his personality; even Yue Ziqin's offer earlier to join them for food has precisely been extended because Yue Ziqin knew it would have been rejected anyway.

He just hasn't expected Sun Xiang to be gay, of all things. It was unexpected, but a welcome revelation nonetheless...because that meant his advances wouldn't be harshly rebuked. _That lean, slender body, combined with a loud, attention-seeking personality that just begs to be shut down and suppressed,_ Yue Ziqin thought, his mind spiralling in all sorts of indecent directions.

 _He's so easily flustered,_ Yue Ziqin observes, eyes drinking in his Little Sun's continuously flushed face. _It's not like the so-called Battle God Ye Qiu is much of a looker. Even Little Sun admitted that_.

After opening QQ, Yue Ziqin discovers, to his delight, that he is on the same team as Sun Xiang. With a few clicks, he logs into the game. Light surrounds his Blade Master character, 【Moonlight Cleaver】, as Yue Ziqin finds himself spawning by the rocky outcrop within the training map Conquering Clouds and Excellent Era's R&D departments had created for their partnership.

Trying to clear his mind of extraneous thoughts, Yue Ziqin launches into the game, focused on fighting his way to the meeting point.

This entire time, Sun Xiang has been feeling as if an invisible thread had him hooked to the ceiling, hyperconscious of the presence sitting beside him. The other man isn't even doing anything, but it's precisely this lack of action that makes the dirty blond nervous. What if he isn't prepared when Ye Qiu _does_ strike?

Sun Xiang's entire reputation would go down in flames. It would be less salvageable than his dream of ever obtaining 【One Autumn Leaf】 in this lifetime.

 _Well_ , Sun Xiang corrects himself, _further out of reach than me ever being as good as_ 【 _One Autumn Leaf_ 】 _with its current owner._ He, like many others, had been inspired to start playing 《Glory》 due to the Battle God's masterful display of skills. Even if he currently plays a Berserker, he would have done anything to be able to use the most famous Battle Mage account—that is, before today at least.

 _I should never mention this to him_ , Sun Xiang realizes with dawning horror. _He'll actually take me up on it, and who knows what he'll make me do in exchange for even a minute of playtime._

As Sun Xiang controls 【Cross Knife】 toward his assigned dungeon on autopilot, his mind decides to rebel, conjuring up various images he definitely should not be thinking of in public. Unfortunately for Sun Xiang, these visualizations only serve to darken the blush on his cheeks and make his movements more awkward. His mouse slides off the mousepad when he snaps out of his daydream.

Hearing the odd noise, Ye Qiu glances over at him. Then, at the exact same moment Sun Xiang steals another glance at the man himself. Their eyes meet, and Sun Xiang is lost once more in that endless expanse of amber.

"...ang Xiang," Ye Qiu calls out, amused, but the dazed look in Sun Xiang's eyes remains. With a knowing smile, Ye Qiu leans in and taps Sun Xiang's cheek with his index finger. "Little Xiang Xiang, now is not the time to daydream about me."

That, if nothing else, pulls Sun Xiang from his reverie. _How did he know?!_ Sun Xiang's cheeks begin to glow even more, pointedly turning back to his screen and acting as if nothing happened.

 _So adorable_. Ye Qiu's lips tilt upward.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sun Xiang spies Ye Qiu's shamelessly undiscriminating smile directed his way and flushes even more. _Can...can he just stop? We-we're in the middle of a training session!_

Sun Xiang forces himself to focus on his screen, not...not the man next to him—no, definitely not the man next to him. It was just in time too, as Sun Xiang nearly entered a high mob-rate zone, which would have caused him to exceed the allotted time for warm-up. His fingers rapidly fly across the keys to circle around that zone and target a smaller mob instead. A few keystrokes and maneuvers later, Sun Xiang finishes that mob and moves on to the next, becoming lost in the grind.

Unbeknownst to him, two gazes, amber and hazel, laser in on his movements. Something within both of them flare up at the sight of the dirty blond so focused on the game. But while Ye Qiu's movements don't falter, steadily re-assimilating back into the game, Yue Ziqin suddenly finds his character being abused by a mob of common monsters. He isn't used to being distracted—well not distracted to this extent—and slips during his own grinding. Gritting his teeth, he forcefully tears his gaze away from Sun Xiang and does his best to rectify the situation. Minutes pass, and not only is he unable to whittle down the monsters, more of them spawn to gang up on him. Left with no other option, he asks in the team chat if anyone can come over to help him.

He expects his teammates to respond first; the smooth voice casually asking for his coordinates is absolutely unexpected.

Instinctively, he rattles off his coordinates, only then realizing that the Battle God himself is coming over to lend a hand. That damnable voice—now, he completely understands why Sun Xiang still hasn't stopped blushing—confirms his coordinates, and soon the iconic battle mage in his distinctive gold-outlined black armor descends onto his location.

Yue Ziqin eyes Excellent Era's captain, his gaze full of both begrudging admiration and festering dislike. The man looks average, if anything, with messy dark hair and a face lined with exhaustion. _He doesn't take care of himself_ , Yue Ziqin absently notes. Bags appear beneath a set of breathtaking amber eyes, Yue Ziqin admits in his mind. He can somewhat understand the draw of such a man, but there are so many better options—most notably, himself.

"Little Yue, was it?"

Yue Ziqin blinks, looking at his screen again. Despite not having pressed a single key since the Battle God came to his rescue, his once monster-infested surroundings were suddenly cleared. "Yes, Senior. Thank you for the help."

"Mn, it was no trouble," Ye Qiu says, glancing at the time on the corner of his screen. "Still ten minutes left, just enough time. Let me show you a few tricks."

Upon hearing the clatter of a headset against the desk, Yue Ziqin looks over at Ye Qiu. "What? There's truly no need, Senior. It's better for you to go back to warming up yourself," Yue Ziqin protests. _I don't want_ _ **your**_ _help of all things! Not when I plan to steal Little Sun from right under your nose!_

"Nonsense, I'm already done warming up." The laugh in Ye Qiu's voice is unmistakable. "Here, move back a little." Ye Qiu doesn't give Yue Ziqin any time to refuse and pulls over an open chair. Amber eyes slide to the side and examine Yue Ziqin for any signs of protest before he takes control of the keyboard.

After confirming Yue Ziqin's keyboard commands, Ye Qiu's long, slender fingers dance across the keyboard while his pale lips explain the strategy and technique behind each move. Yue Ziqin can't decide which should hold his attention: the monitor where each keystroke is brought to life or those fingers which cast the enchantment. Before he knows it, the other man is done showcasing the combination and gestures for him to repeat it.

Yue Ziqin only gets through half the moveset before fumbling and forgetting what goes next. Embarrassed, he looks away from the one beside him, unwilling to see the disappointed, mocking smile. Yet Ye Qiu's voice was only filled with encouragement, not commenting on Yue Ziqin's mistake

"Here, let me show you again, but more slowly. You being able to follow that much is an achievement, Little Yue."

Warmth brushes against his hand, drawing Yue Ziqin's gaze. Those captivating fingers resettle his own onto the keys and repeated the moves step-by-step, only slower.

"There we go; now just practice that in your free time, and you'll have it down in no time." Ye Qiu smiles gently, standing up.

"T-thank you, Senior Ye," Yue Ziqin manages to get out, still stunned.

"Mn, no worries. You're fairly close to the dungeon we're running, so hurry over," Ye Qiu reminds him before slipping into his original seat. Yue Ziqin stares after him for a moment before ducking behind his screen, ears slightly red at the tips.

Sun Xiang glances between his team's guild leader and Ye Qiu, visibly frowning. "Why did you go over there and help him?" The words carelessly fall from his mouth, and Sun Xiang is thankful his mic isn't on.

Ye Qiu raises a brow, his familiar, teasing face returning. "What's the matter, Xiang Xiang? Jealousy doesn't suit you."

Sun Xiang splutters. "J-jealous?! In your dreams!" Despite his words, however, Sun Xiang turns his head away from the older man's face.

With an amused sigh, Ye Qiu slips on his headset but flips the mic off. He leans over, close enough that Sun Xiang can feel his breath, and glides his hand across Sun Xiang's hand before settling completely over it. "Don't worry, Xiang Xiang. You're the only one for me; you're the sunshine that illuminates my life and makes it worth living."

Sun Xiang's blue eyes are caught by that soft amber gaze. He, too, leans forward and stares into them for a moment before nodding slowly.

"I'm here." Yue Ziqin's voice breaks through his headset, causing Sun Xiang to tear his gaze away and back at the screen.

"S-so am I."

"Same."

Two more voices ring out next, signaling the arrival of their entire team. Sun Xiang takes in a deep breath and reorients himself.

"Does anyone have any questions about the strategy? Or are we ready to start?" Ye Qiu's voice is bored and calm—as if he did not confess his love to Sun Xiang just moments earlier.

"Ready." The four of them respond, to which Ye Qiu nods, leading that charge into the dungeon.

By that point, Sun Xiang had already fallen into the devil's rhythm of the game. One should not take the world of the fae lightly.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Thank you, Cel, for betaing! Thanks to veriquity and shaf as well, who were able to find time in their busy lives to do a partial beta before I handed the work off to Cel~

I guess this will be a late birthday gift to Ye Xiu. I did have a XiuSan fic in the works, but real life happened. qwq

Thankfully, my younger sister recovered well and is home now from the hospital, so hopefully I'll get back into the groove of things soon.

I also deleted the April Fools Chapter, so...yea

This story is staying sfw (to a point, nsfw references are still rampant because it's Ye Xiu), any nsfw stuff will be in a side story.

Cross-posted under **MTKiseki** at AO3

Beta'd by **Celare** at AO3

Partially Beta'd by **Vqt** and **Sharyxe150** at AO3

Gifted to **Sorataxd** ( **skysongxd** ) at AO3

Part 1 of the _**Take Another Look At Me**_ series


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